The present invention relates to an ampoule storage container in which a plurality of ampoules are stored and a desired number of ampoules can be automatically discharged if necessary.
Conventionally, as an ampoule storage container used for automatically feeding a desired number of ampoules, there is known an apparatus in which a plurality of ampoules are stored in a overlying state on each other and discharged one by one by moving a movable bottom plate (Japanese Laid-open patent publication 10-192369).
However, in the aforementioned ampoule storage container, a function of changing the direction of the ampoule is not provided and a countermeasure against the jam or the like of the ampoule is not enough. In the unlikely event of the ampoule being broken, the liquid medicine is scattered and the cleaning thereafter becomes difficult. Therefore, it is necessary to reliably prevent increase of forced load on the ampoule caused by the jam of the ampoule or the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ampoule storage container in which the direction of the ampoule can be changed and a desired number of ampoules can be discharged one by one in spite of simple construction.
In order to accomplish the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an ampoule storage container for storing a plurality of ampoules in a laterally orientated state with respect to a discharge direction and discharging the ampoule one by one, the ampoule storage container comprising:
a belt conveyor for conveying the ampoule in the laterally orientated state;
an ampoule regulating member disposed above a belt of the belt conveyor, the ampoule regulating member forming a gap through which only one of the ampoule can pass; and
a stopper which comes into contact with the one end of the ampoule passing through the gap so that the ampoule can be changed to a longitudinally orientated state.
According to the above construction, when the belt conveyor is driven, the ampoules put on the belt conveyor are conveyed to the ampoule regulating member. Due to the ampoule regulating member, the ampoules are regulated to enter the gap between the belt and the ampoule regulating member, whereby the ampoule is moved to the stopper reliably one by one. When the ampoule is discharged, one end of the ampoule comes into contact with the stopper, whereby the ampoule can be smoothly changed to a longitudinally orientated state.
Preferably, the ampoule storage container may further comprises a press contact member which comes into contact with the upper surface of the ampoule which is discharged passing through the gap. Thus, the press contact member can properly prevent the ampoules more than needs from being discharged when the belt conveyor is stopped.
Preferably, the belt of the belt conveyor may be formed with a plurality of protrusions in a predetermined distance so that the protrusion can engage with the ampoule to convey the ampoule to the discharge direction, whereby the protrusion passes under the ampoule when the ampoule become impossible to be conveyed. Thus, even if jam of the ampoule is caused, the protrusions can pass under the ampoule, whereby the ampoule is never damaged. Alternatively, the belt of the belt conveyor may be formed with a plurality of recesses in a predetermined distance so that the recess can engage with the ampoule to convey the ampoule to the discharge direction, whereby a belt portion between the adjacent recesses passes under the ampoule when the ampoule become impossible to be conveyed.
Preferably, the press contact member may be provided with a friction generating member for coming into contact with the ampoule to generate a friction. Thus, the ampoule can be discharged without forming above protrusions. It is also possible to prevent the ampoule from being unexpectedly discharged through the gap.
The press contact member may comprise an elastic member. Alternatively, the press contact member may be urged by an elastic member in a direction that the press contact member comes into contact with the ampoule.
Preferably, the ampoule storage container may further comprise a projection plate that comes into contact with the ampoule of the second layer positioned at a lead position in the ampoule discharge direction. The projection plate allows the lead ampoule of the second layer to be push into the first layer, whereby the ampoules can be reliably discharged without jam. It is preferable that the lower edge of the projection plate is positioned between a center line that is obtained by connecting the centers of the plurality of ampoules of the second layer and a tangential line that is obtained by connecting the outer top surfaces of the plurality of ampoules of the second layer. It is more preferable that the lower edge of the projection plate is positioned just above the center line.
Preferably, the belt conveyor may be inclined downward to the discharge direction of the ampoule. Thus, it is possible to more reliably conduct discharge of the ampoule.